Methods and apparatus for producing biodiesel and products obtained therefrom

A method for producing biodiesel from a feedstock containing free fatty acids (FFAs), said method comprising the steps of:

• a. converting FFA in the feedstock to a glycerolysis product using a glycerolysis process, wherein the glycerolysis process includes introducing free glycerin at a dose rate of about 0.12 MEq-TFA or less;
• b. separating the glycerolysis product into a fatty acid distillate and a stripped feedstock using a free fatty acid stripping process;
• and
• c. introducing the fatty acid distillate to one of either the glycerolysis process in step (a) or a subsequent (second) glycerolysis process.

A method for producing biodiesel from a feedstock containing free fatty acids (FFAs), said method comprising:

• d. using a stripping process to separate the feedstock into a stripped feedstock and a fatty acid distillate, wherein the stripped feedstock comprises di-glycerides and tri-glycerides and the fatty acid distillate comprises FFAs and monoglycerides;
• e. using a glycerolysis process which includes introducing free glycerin to convert FFAs in the fatty acid distillate to a glycerolysis product comprising unreacted FFAs, mono-glycerides, di-glycerides, and tri-glycerides, wherein the free glycerin is introduced to the glycerolysis process at a dose rate of about 0.12 MEq-TFA or less;
• f. introducing the glycerolysis product to one of either the stripping process in step (a) or a subsequent (second) stripping process to separate the glycerolysis product into a second stripped feedstock and a second fatty acid distillate;
• g. transesterifying the first stripped feedstock and the second stripped feedstock to produce a first crude biodiesel.